Of Buses and School Desks
by DJ Lee
Summary: After having her life saved by the Great Saiyaman, Videl feels guilty about not being able to properly thank him. Gohan offers some advice.


**Disclaimer:** Dragon Ball Z copyright Akira Toriyama. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only and if requested to be removed, it will be done immediately and without complaint.

**Note:** The story takes place during the Saiyaman Saga and is before Videl discovers Saiyaman's identity. The hijacked bus scene was only slightly modified but it shouldn't do much to take away from the story.

This is also my first Dragon Ball Z story in years so I apologize if anything seems a little off here and there. Also, this story is unbeta-ed so I apologize for any errors that there might be in advance. Honestly, this story is just pure fluff and has no real plot, so I'm not really expecting much feedback, but I appreciate any that is offered!

**Of Buses and School Desks**

Honestly there was nothing special about Son Gohan, but Satan Videl still couldn't help but feel that there was something more than what he was letting on. He wasn't the quiet nerd in class that no one bothered to cast a second look at. Oh no. Videl knew better than that. Ever since the first day of school when he laughed nervously and tried to evade very normal everyday questions, Videl knew that there was something special about Gohan. She just didn't know what it was and had made it her mission to find out ever since.

Ever since then she'd been trailing him left and right. Honestly, she felt like a stalker. Never before had she gone to such great lengths to find out more about someone. She could've just gone to the police department and had a background check done on the boy, but nothing showed up and it frustrated her to no end. She lived in Satan City! One of the biggest metropolises in the country! And yet, she couldn't find out information about _one_ boy. So to satiate her curiosity she had been reduced to following the boy around before and after school. Seriously, she felt like a stalker and she didn't like that one bit.

She watched as Gohan scrambled out of class faster than even the fastest jocks in the class and that made her pause. For such a tall and thin boy, he sure was fast. If she hadn't been watching him so intently, she was sure that he'd definitely be missed and would've passed under her radar if she weren't careful. Videl frowned and hurriedly shoved her notebook and pencil into her bag to follow after the boy, only stopping to bid her friends goodbye briefly.

He was nowhere in the halls. He was _that_ fast. Videl knew that it was almost impossible to be that fast since she was one of the fastest fighters and people in the school, enough to rival her father. And yet, this boy had surpassed her without breaking a sweat. Luckily, no one had noticed. Videl wasn't sure how to even respond to that. After a quick scan of the crowd, Videl decided that her next destination would be Gohan's locker. If she was quick she could probably catch him before he left.

The green row of lockers came into view but Gohan was nowhere in sight. Once again, Gohan just confirmed his frightening speed. Sighing at the missed opportunity, Videl turned on her heel and headed toward the opposite direction to the staircase leading to the roof where she could un-capsule her jetcopter for her flight home. She was about halfway up the stairs when her watch had sounded and she'd been informed of a crazy tour bus hijack full of elderly people.

How crazy would these criminal be?

Videl shook her head at the absurdity of the situation and quickened her pace to the top of the staircase. She was zooming by the city as fast as her copter would allow and cursed lowly under her breath about stupid criminals and her missed chance to follow Gohan home.

Oh Kami, she was such a stalker.

She'd bury her face in her hands in embarrassment if she weren't in the middle of flying a vehicle going at 300 kph.

* * *

Videl was honestly surprised at the fight that those criminal managed to put up, even going so far as to use the elderly folk as hostages with guns pointing at them and everything. If she hadn't accidentally knocked out the driver, incidentally also a criminal, along the way, she was pretty sure she wouldn't be feeling this sense of panic well up inside of her. The edge of the cliff was arriving fast and she was not even sure that she could get the bus to stop even if she did manage to get hold of the wheel now.

She gulped. She was too young to die! Mentally apologizing for all the elderly folk she had let down, Videl clenched her eyes shut, expecting the sense of weightlessness of the bus falling any second now.

She waited and waited; and waited.

It was at least a good solid thirty seconds before she mustered up enough courage to peak open an eye. Outside the windows was the nice blue sky, but nothing was moving like one would expect when falling to their doom from how many meters up.

Videl blinked and looked on in confusion until she felt the bus jerk slightly as if it was being lifted. Slowly the bus soared higher and higher until she could just make out the ledge of the cliff she had fallen from. And then it clicked. The Great Saiyaman. She had to hold down a snicker at the name, but smiled greatly as her heart soared in gratitude that for once in the past few weeks, that the Great Saiyaman's presence was completely and utterly welcome.

The moment the bus touched down onto the nice solid earth, Videl raced out the doors of the bus, but not before kicking the last conscious thug in the gut as hard as she could. The Great Saiyaman was nowhere in sight. Videl felt her stomach drop and a sense of disappointment take over when she realized that he had left after saving their lives without so much as a goodbye.

* * *

The next few weeks were hard as Videl tried to focus and concentrate on class all while following (she refused to use the word "stalk") Gohan and looking forward to the next time she would meet the Great Saiyaman. It was strange. Gohan always managed to elude her even though she had been nothing but nosy and pushy. He accepted it all with a smile on his face, as if he was used to such people and he treated her no different than he treated others—as if she were just Videl and not the famous Satan Videl, daughter of Mr. Satan.

Videl sighed heavily to herself. If only more people would learn from him.

Then there was the issue of the Great Saiyaman. He showed up, helped her fight crime, barely exchanging words with her unless necessary, and then left the moment everything was settled. He was just as elusive as Gohan and that frustrated Videl to no end. All she wanted to do was thank him for saving her life and yet it made it so difficult!

Videl rested her head on her desk gloomily. Maybe the Great Saiyaman didn't want her gratitude? Maybe he was angry with her for how she had treated him earlier like he was a nuisance? She felt worse the more she thought about it.

"What's wrong, Videl?"

She barely registered the voice since she was so lost in thought. It took a few seconds for her to recognize the voice as Gohan's. Videl blinked in confusion. What was he doing here? Didn't he rush out of class like he usually did? She was so lost in thought the past few weeks that she had barely noticed Gohan as much as she used to.

She was still no closer to finding out anything about him than before.

"I thought you went home," said Videl. Looking around the room, she noticed that Erasa and Sharpner were also absent. She and Gohan were the only students left in the classroom. "Where's Erasa and Sharpner?"

Gohan seated himself in Erasa's chair so that he was next to her. "I was about to go home, but I noticed that you seemed really out of it. Erasa and Sharpner noticed too and they wanted to stay but they had something come up. They only left when I volunteered to stay with you."

She couldn't help but blush when he said "stay with you" and she didn't know why. "Oh."

He shrugged and also put his head on the table, mirroring her current position. "So, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she said a little grumpier than intended. She noticed Gohan wince at her tone and she grimaced. "Sorry." Videl let out a small sigh and closed her eyes, wondering whether or not she could tell this boy what she was feeling at all. He was very sweet, considerate, and didn't deserve any of the harsh treatments she had cast his way when he first transferred. She felt guilty about that and decided that perhaps she could make up for it by spilling her heart to him. Well, not really. She didn't trust him _that_ much. Perhaps just enough so that it'd put his worries to rest.

After a few moments of figuring out the words in her head, Videl opened her eyes to come face to face with Gohan's own dark eyes staring back at hers. She had never noticed how wide and bright his eyes were. His lashes were even longer than hers! She squashed down that bit of jealousy and shoved back any thoughts of how nice Gohan's eyes were to the back of her head. "Gohan…" she started out cautiously.

"Hmm?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but it seemed to have become stuck because she had no idea why it was so hard all of a sudden to talk. She talked every day to everyone, so why was this any different? Her face suddenly felt hot, but she deliberately ignored the warm sensation in her cheeks.

He was patient as he waited for her to sort out her thoughts. It must've been a good while before she said anything else.

"Do you hate me?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise at the sudden unexpected question. "Hate you? Why would I hate you?"

"Do you resent me at all? Just a little?"

He looked more confused as the questions continued. "Not at all," he said softly.

She could hear the confusion in his voice and that made her feel worse. How could he not even resent her just a little?

"I haven't been the best at welcoming you into this school. If anything I probably made it worse… I was mean to you and I kept trying to pry personal information out of you. If anything, you _should_ hate me."

Instead of agreeing, he just gave her a warm smile. "I suppose, but I don't. I mean, you were just curious about the new kid right? I'd be curious too if he didn't say anything about himself."

"So you _do_ have stuff to hide."

He shrugged.

"Aren't you going to share?"

He let out a small laugh. "Nope."

She pouted. "Meany."

He laughed again. "I know, right? But what can I do? I'd no longer be the mysterious new kid if I divulged all my secrets, now would I?"

She sighed. He had a point, but it did nothing to satisfy her curiosity. "You're too nice, Gohan."

"Is that bad?" He looked at her in confusion again.

She shook her head. "No, but it's strange. You're one of the nicest people I know and you don't take offense at things that other people would."

He grinned. "So, would you want me to be mean jerk now?"

"No!" His grin widened.

She blushed when she realized that she had practically yelled that last part. "What I mean is, I like you the way you are."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Okay," he said with a smile. "Then I'll continue to be Mr. Nice, but around you, I'll be Mr. Mean."

"Jerk."

He let out a laugh. He had a nice laugh. He also had a nice smooth voice that matched nicely with his looks. He was easily the cutest and most handsome boy in the class. Darn, there went her mind again.

"So, do you consider me a friend, Videl?"

She had to pause for a few seconds, but then realized that Gohan had been nothing but a friend the past few months while she was nothing but a stalker; correction, someone who followed and tailed Gohan every day. He was a very nice person and she knew that if she ever needed help, she could depend on him. She decided that if he ever needed help, she'd do what she could to help as well.

"Of course. One of the people I consider a true friend and not one who wants to be friends with the famous Satan Videl."

He smiled warmly at that. "Would you mind sharing what's on your mind with your dear old friend?"

Videl rolled her eyes at his comment. "Would the dear old friend tell me what he's hiding?"

He pretended to think for a moment before answering, "Nope. Sorry. Maybe one day, but definitely not now."

Although Videl didn't like the answer, she supposed that it was the most that she could get out of Gohan and grudgingly accepted the comment. Deciding to answer his question, Videl said, "What do you do if you want to thank someone but can't?"

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "How can you not?"

She groaned slightly. "There's this guy… he saved my life and I've been feeling guilty about it for the longest time. I've been trying to thank him since it happened but every time when I'm about to say it, he just disappears."

"Wow. Someone save the great Satan Videl's life? That must be a miracle!"

"Shut up." She shot him a glare but he merely grinned back. "I was in this hijacked bus and it ran off a cliff." She could hear his breath catch in his throat in surprise in fear. "But as you can see, I'm alive. The Great Saiyaman, the guy I've been harassing for joining in on my crime fighting, saved me."

"Wow…"

Videl nodded and smiled. "I know right?" She let out a small sigh. "It's got me rethinking about his presence in the city. He has super powers, shows up whenever trouble appears, and I know that he wouldn't turn his back on us. I mean, he saved me from a falling off a cliff! Now that I think about it, he's a really nice guy, like you Gohan. I was just too stubborn and grouchy about having my turf invaded, you know?"

He nodded.

"I just don't know how I'm supposed to thank him now… Like I said, every time I try to he just disappears before I have the chance to."

"I'm sure he understands," said Gohan.

She looked at him in confusion. "How? I haven't even said a word to him since then! Well, aside from when he tells me to go after so and so thug while he goes after the others."

He shrugged. "I just do."

Videl rolled her eyes. "That helps."

He grinned. "Come on, Videl. It's getting late. I'm sure you don't want to hang around a stuffy old classroom all day."

She wrinkled her nose at the mention of the classroom but agreed. She threw the last of her belongings in her bag and walked with Gohan out the doors. He was about to leave out the main doors when she called him back.

He looked at her curiously as he waited for her response.

Videl could feel her face heat up again, but tried her best to ignore it. "Thanks for… you know… today."

Gohan merely smiled back warmly at her and said, "Anytime, Videl. If you need me to lend an ear, you know where to find me."

She looked blankly at him for a good few seconds before she said, "Actually I don't."

Gohan laughed in embarrassment when he that she wasn't joking and gave her his mobile phone number before leaving.

The following time that a crime happened in the city and the Great Saiyaman showed up, Videl tried her best to offer her gratitude but one look at his warm smile to her and she knew. No words needed to be exchanged because he just seemed to know what was in her heart. Videl sighed wistfully to herself. If only Gohan and the Great Saiyaman were the same person…


End file.
